After receiving a complaint, Holyrood officials are looking into the possible use of stamps that were purchased using MSP funds.
MSPs are permitted to use up to £5,500 a year for postage and stationery expenses under Holyrood regulations, but they are strictly prohibited from using the funds for party political purposes.
In a WhatsApp group chat with other senior aides, a staff member of John Swinney’s office reportedly stated that the “stamp fairy is very useful when it comes to campaigns” on Sunday.
The first minister of Scotland claimed that employees had informed him that the money had not been used for SNP campaigning.
He stated, “I’ve obviously discussed this with my staff, and I’ve been assured that no parliamentary stamps that have been provided by Parliament have been used to support election purposes,” during an appearance on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg on the news.
He explained that the communication was “humorous remarks made in a WhatsApp channel” and that it mentioned the “stamp fairy”.
“What’s important is the reassurance that I’ve had that parliamentary stamps have not been used for election purposes,” he stated.
When asked if he was certain that no public funds had been used for the SNP campaign, he replied, “I’m confident of that.”
